The Stated Main Idea - Tutor Hints 
                                                                       
                 What is the main idea? 
                 A general statement about the paragraph (or reading selection).  The main idea is a 
                 sentence that provides the subject for discussion; it is the topic sentence.  It is 
                 usually supported by a list of details.  If you can tell what the supporting details 
                 have in common, you can discover the main idea. 
                  
                 Example 1: 
                 1                                                   2
                  There are many kinds of unusual plants.   Cactuses, for instance, can survive in the 
                 great heat of the desert sun at noon and in the bitter cold of the desert at night.  
                 3
                  Instead of regular leaves, they have needles that serve as a defense against 
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                 hungry animals.   Their stems are full of hollow cells that store enough water to 
                                       5
                 last for months.   These features make the cactus a remarkable plant, able to live 
                 in one of nature’s harshest environments.   
                  
                 What is the main idea of this passage? 
                 Helpful hints: 
                     •   A reading selection is likely to have three kinds of sentences:  a main idea, 
                         supporting details, and sometimes a general or catchy introduction.  The 
                         main idea can be found anywhere among these. 
                     •   Read the paragraph out loud to yourself, if possible, and think…what or who 
                         the paragraph is about. 
                     •   The main idea is usually general—though only general enough to encompass 
                         the list of details.  It will rarely contain specific information such as dates, 
                         numbers, and examples. 
                     •   The main idea will sometimes contain clue words that give a name to the list 
                         of supporting details: 
                         o  “There are several kinds of…” 
                         o  “Use the following steps to…” 
                         o  “For these reasons…” 
                         o  “There are several ways to…” 
                     •   Contrasting transition words like “However”, “But”, and “Yet” often begin the 
                         main idea, as in the following example. 
                      
                 Example 2:   
                 1                                        2
                  You may think golf is difficult.   However, there are several easy ways to improve 
                                      3
                 your golf score.   First, try holding the club with your… 
                  
                 Sentence 1 is a general introduction; it is not the main idea because the author 
                 does not give details about golf being “difficult.”  Sentence 2 is the main idea 
                 because a list of details supports it.  The word however is the contrasting 
                 transition that shifts the reader’s focus from the introduction to the main idea. 
                      
       Answer Key 
        
       Example 1:  Sentence 5 is the main idea:  “These features make the 
       cactus a remarkable plant, able to live in one of nature’s harshest 
       environments.”